I have always wanted a breast augmentation and finally the time was right! Dr. Pittas had a lot of great reviews and experience and surgery was easy! I had under the muscle, 415cc Natrelle Inspira silicone cohesive implants. I have a pretty high pain tolerance generally and would say I generally didn't feel much more than a 4 throughout though occasional twinges on my mid-chest and some bruising. I took the pain meds regularly, though for the first few days and then only at night. I'm now only on Tylenol twice a day. (Make sure to take Colace or other stool softener with the narcotics!) I looked at so many before and after pics and had a hard time finding breasts that were wide-set like mine, so I thought it could help others to see my results. Thank you to all those who shared their experiences! It really helped prepare me! I am currently 1 week, 2 days PO. I still have upper pole fullness. TBH, a breast stabilizer band was not given to me, but I am wearing one anyway. I have tight pecs and want to make sure my implants are given all the encouragement they need to settle as I know it can take a long time for some. :) Updated on 7 Apr 2023: I realized I put the scar strips on too soon and may have impeded healing so my scars are still a bit raw and irritated though not infected. I started 4 days post-op and I should have waited for the scar to be completely healed before using them. I'm now cleaning them with Hibiclens and putting a layer of Aquaphor on them when I massage. I also learned there are two types of silicone scar sheets, the kind you can wear consistently for up to 10 days called Scar Away and others that you have to pull off and wash daily. Make sure to read the instructions! To avoid contracture, I am massaging 3x daily and have been since day 4. I hold each position for 30 seconds—pushing them together toward the midline, squeezing midline and up to create cleavage (though I wonder about this one because really I want them to be dropping now), downward using my palms while interlocking my fingers above the nipple, and stretching the skin below the nipple and above the scar while holding the scar down so it doesn't pull. I'm not pressing them out toward my armpits which the doctor recommended not doing and makes total sense. They are still tight but move more easily now when I squeeze them. Everything still feels a bit tight, especially in the morning. I didn't really get many instructions from the doctor's office about aftercare so have been treating them conservatively based on information I found online. I plan to wear the compression bra for another 2 weeks full-time since I feel like it holds my breasts together well and I am used to it. Then I'll probably switch to a sports bra full-time for another 2 weeks or so. I have one compression bra from the doctor's office and another I bought on Amazon from Lipoelastic that seems to do the same sort of compression. They are both lower profile. Everything is still mostly numb and the sensation in my nipples continues to be greatly reduced, as I've seen is normal from other reviews. They are starting to look more normal but still haven't dropped fully as you can see from the photos and I still have a little hitch in the downward slope. The scars are also still visible which will look better when they heal and the breasts drop more. I tried on a bathing suit the other day which was really fun and thought, holy sh**! That's me! Even though I know they will ultimately look different when it is bathing-suit weather here in Michigan. So far I have been very pleased. My husband thinks they look natural already even though I know they still have a ways to go. Updated on 15 Apr 2023: I'm continuing to wear my compression bra and strap full-time and probably will continue until week six (following the most conservative recommendations out there). Granted, my compression bra is very similar to a firm sports bra anyway. (I'm still using the Lipoelastic brand.) I took the advice of cutting off the toe and heel of a sock and threading the implant stabilizer band through it and it does a great job of alleviating the friction under my armpits. I was a bit disappointed as the swelling went down to find mild window shading developing , more noticeable on the left breast. I have a follow up appointment with the surgeon about it next Friday (1 mo. post-op). I don't want to go through another surgery any time soon, as it sounds like the surgery to fix it is extensive. Many reviews I've read said that they normally wait it out for 6 months to see if it will go away on its own as it can get less noticeable over time. At the moment, I'm feeling that unless it gets worse later, it's not so bad that I'd need to fix it. Best of luck to everyone! Updated on 21 Apr 2023: Things continue to look better as they drop, I think. I have an appointment with the plastic surgeon today about the window shading, but it has already improved significantly and doesn't really bother me. I do want to see if he has any recommendations, nonetheless. I still feel tightness in the morning and am massaging 3 times a day. I had a funny new experience the other day when I caught a man I was talking to glancing at them. I don't wear very revealing clothes so this was just a slightly tighter top. I'm also getting more smiles and consideration from men in general. My friend who also got implants warned me that might happen and I didn't believe her, but it's pretty hilarious! I'm still wearing the compression bra full-time, so I imagine they'll probably look bigger when I'm in regular bras. I want to keep them from migrating to the sides until they're fully set, so I'm still wearing the compression bra full-time, which pulls them together. I am planning to continue until 6 weeks, which seems to be the most conservative recommendation, but I'll ask the doctor about that today too. Hope everyone is enjoying spring! Updated on 19 May 2023: The girls are taking their time to drop! I've been wearing the stabilization band a bit tighter and doing massage that the doctor showed me where I press from the top of the implant down and toward my butt. The left has worked its way down more than the right, which continues to be a bit higher as you can see in the photos. Still not much feeling but not a terrible thing. Nipples feel a little sensitive to the touch—almost a pins and needles feeling. Updated on 19 Jun 2023: Left one is dropping nicely but still a ways to go! Right one is still riding high (I am holding the camera in my right hand). Still not much feeling. They sort of still feel like pillows attached to the front of my chest. Hopefully it will continue to return over time. Last appointment I had with the doctor, he showed me a stretch where I push from the top down to help them drop. I am wearing the stabilization band at night, quite a bit tighter than I was before. I'm still sleeping on my back as I've found my neck pain has improved a lot since then! I wore a dress with no bra the other night and felt great! I have an appointment with Dr. Pittas on Friday. Hopefully, he'll approve of progress! Updated on 13 Oct 2023: I know that they will keep changing over time, but I really couldn't be more pleased with them. Well, I would be more pleased if I had the feeling in my nipples that I had before, but, after 1/2 a lifetime of feeling self-conscious, to now feel sexy and proud of how I look naked is amazing. One last "before" photo to say goodbye to! Recommendation...Dive in! It's 100% worth it! Updated on 30 Apr 2025: Two years later. They're still changing and filling out. Love them! After 45 years of hating the way my breasts look, I love my body! I absolutely did it for myself, not for any man, though they love them too. ;) Best of luck on your journey!
